Bobby Valentine's Final Year

That is a shame, but maybe they'll work something out if the Marines win another Nippon-ichi.

If Bobby really does go, Japanese baseball will be losing one of it's finest advocates.

This is a big disappointment and hopefully Chiba Lotte will come to its senses. I concur with Patrick when he says Japanese baseball is losing one of its biggest advocates.

I just read Jim Allen's article in The Daily Yomiuri and I feel even more confused after reading this article. I'm a Marines fan and I think Bobby has been great for the team and baseball in Japan.

There seems to be personal issues between Bobby and Setoyama, the team president? Setoyama had previously demanded Bobby to resign according to Bobby, yet Setoyama denies coming with these accusations. Valentine's too strong will and making decisions without discussing with the front office might have been reasons for not wanting to extend his contract.

I just checked Bobby's blog, but there have been no updates there yet. It will be interesting to hear if he has anything to say about this.

The Marines fans are a strong movement, maybe they can get some kind of grass root campaign going which can change their minds in the front office.

- I just checked Bobby's blog, but there have been no updates there yet.

There actually was an update, that he posted when he returned to Japan a couple of days ago. But my cat walked over my keyboard before I could read more than the first paragraph. That caused the page to reload, and the new article had disappeared.

From what I read, it was Bobby saying that he returned to Japan for a strategy session regarding recent miscommunication about a Korean third baseman.

What it turned out to be (according to Jim's article and those from Kyodo News and the AP) was Setoyama stripping Bobby of the role of building the future Marines.

I have to admit, I've seen this coming for quite a while. Bobby and Setoyama-club president have not been on the same wavelength for the past couple of seasons - especially in regard to team building. Bobby's approach, to build a san-gun, makes the most sense in the long term.

I haven't read anything about Setoyama's plan or even if he has one. Like most businessmen, he shuns transparency in hopes that keeping secrets will give them some sort of advantage. He and the proprietary business world are wrong. If his strategy cannot withstand peer review under full transparency, then it probably isn't worth pursuing. (This is why Open Source security is better than Microsoft's attempts at security through obscurity.)

Well, 2009 should be very interesting out at Chiba Marine Stadium. If Bobby's going to go out, I hope to see it in a blaze of glory - Pacific League Pennant, Climax Series, Nippon Series, and Asia Series.

Gambare Bobby!